Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett were both ejected from Monday's game in New York. / Kathy Willens, AP

by Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY Sports

by Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY Sports

During a radio interview Thursday, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers defused the rumor that Kevin Garnett mentioned Carmelo Anthony's wife in trash-talking during an altercation Monday.

"Well, No. 1, I know what's been reported did not happen," Rivers told WEEI. "I know that as a fact."

Garnett and Anthony were each assessed a double-technical for jawing at each other on the court, and Anthony was suspended for confronting Garnett after the game and approaching him at Boston's team bus in New York.

Said Rivers: "A guy does something crazy like Carmelo did, and the way to get out of trouble is to say, 'Well, he said this.' It happens all the time, and what bugs me about this whole thing is this is not a Kevin Garnett issue. And it was made into one, and it shouldn't have been made into one."

The Celtics coach said that players can cross the line trash-talking, but that Garnett knows better than to do so.

"It's pretty crude, I can tell you," Rivers said. "Out there at times, you hear some crazy stuff. But when it gets racial or personal to family, then that crosses the line. But I'm going to say it again: In this case, that didn't happen.

"(Garnett) does (know where the line is). He does. I will say that. I've never heard him cross the line. And usually when he talks about guys, it's usually about their game or their team or what he thinks if the guy's a winner or loser."